Disaster unfolds slowly in the Gulf of Mexico
In the three weeks since the April 20th explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, and the start of the subsequent massive (and ongoing) oil leak, many attempts have been made to contain and control the scale of the environmental disaster. Oil dispersants are being sprayed, containment booms erected, protective barriers built, controlled burns undertaken, and devices are being lowered to the sea floor to try and cap the leaks, with little success to date. While tracking the volume of the continued flow of oil is difficult, an estimated 5,000 barrels of oil (possibly much more) continues to pour into the gulf every day. While visible damage to shorelines has been minimal to date as the oil has spread slowly, the scene remains, in the words of President Obama, a "potentially unprecedented environmental disaster.
Unfortunately we all contribute in a small way, this was pointed out to me by my 5 year old when I explained what fossil fuels were. Her response was so innocent both my wife and I were shocked, "Our car works with a fossil fuel, why do we use it if it is so bad to the animals?"
Quite simply, I just didn't have an answer.
Teatrea, you mention "5,000 barrels / day (possibly more)". I've heard more like 60,000 to 100,000.
I hear somebody ask, "what does 100,000 barrels of oil look like". I'm glad you asked. If you line up 100,000 barrels (end to end), it is pretty damn close to 100km of barrels. That's coming out every day. 60 days = 6,000km of barrels. Enough oil to create a nasty slick stretching from Perth to Minnie Water (NSW) to Tha Dogman.
Yesterday I was told there was a hurricane brewing, and some off shore equipment was gearing up to come back into port, to delay the capping process even further!
That makes me SICK!! Seriously with all the technology we have in the world these days, WE CAN'T STOP A LEAK or PLUG A HOLE!
What a joke 
xx angie
is not good. 
we have reached a point in our bigger, better, faster, stronger existence that there is no turning back, only racing foward into oblivion where everything will come crashing down and only then will the earth be able to patch up this mess we have made. hang on tight folks!!!!!!
I do feel ever so slightly sympathetic towards the CEO of BP who was criticised by the White House for daring to take a day off to spend with his family, 2 months after this disaster began, when he had apparently not a had a single day off since.
sorry for the CEO?????
In 2 months he would of earnt approx 2 mill$US.
You are way more sympathetic than me.
W
This whole thing makes me so furious.. I can't believe that they did it before 30 yrs ago and didn't learn from it and I think the American government are just as much to blame for letting them do it without the necessary safety precautions that are required elsewhere around the world.
Did anyone see that vid about the poisonous gasses coming up that is a greater danger than the oil?
Here's a pretty funny vid about something that's not funny.
DJ
So angie and worrier, put yourself in his position... someone who works for you screws up real bad. Not something you could have done anything about yourself, and not something you can actually fix yourself. Suddenly you are not able to spend a single day with your family for months. Is that reasonable? Do you agree that your children are reasonably well compensated in this situation, so screw them too? You'll note that Obama has had days off. As a social satirist mentioned this week, when Obama heard the news that the BP CEO was spending a day with his family, he was so outraged, he could barely finish his round of golf.
